


When One Door Closes

by kira_khaleesi



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:41:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23214931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kira_khaleesi/pseuds/kira_khaleesi
Summary: Ben's favourite local coffee shopTico's- he hates those big global chains - is located on the corner across from his office. One day he arrives to see the most beautiful woman he has ever met sitting on the floor outside the entrance, crying.Turns out that the owners, Rose & Paige, have been evicted.
Relationships: Paige Tico & Rose Tico, Rey & Rose Tico, Rey/Ben Solo
Comments: 14
Kudos: 83





	When One Door Closes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [savethespacewhales](https://archiveofourown.org/users/savethespacewhales/gifts).



> fluff based on a tweet image pairing.  
> enjoy
> 
> MINOR TW: brief mention of a character having cancer, they survive!

Over the last three years since he returned to Chandrila, Ben Solo has fallen into what some would call a rigid routine. For him, the structure is perfect. It helps him feel at peace and stave off the demons of his youth. 

The routine goes something like this:

6:00am - Wake up, have some granola and milk. 

6:10am - Go for a run

6:45am - Return home, shower, dress for work

7:00am - Make a smoothie for second breakfast, pack lunch 

7:15-7:30am - Listen to the morning broadcast on NPR while drinking a cup of coffee 

7:35am - Get ready to leave for work 

7:45am - Walk to work

He arrives at work at 8:00am sharp every morning - before all of the other employees - and unlocks the office, turning on all the lights. Ben also waters all the plants, but if you asked him about it he would say that the janitor does that. 

Ben has been working at House Organa Publishing, a smaller independent book publisher, for a little less than three years. He hadn’t been back to his hometown since the second year of college and had planned on never returning - after everything with Luke and his mother why would he go back? After all, Snoke paid him very well. 

But then, he got a call. A call from his Uncle Chewie, saying that his father was sick.

Han Solo, sick with cancer. All these years later and Ben had scoffed at the idea; Han Solo would not be taken down by something as trivial as a disease. 

After hanging up with his uncle, Ben had sat in his apartment and thought about what he should do. He knew right away what he had to do, but having the strength to do it - to leave behind his big city life, to walk away from the man to whom he owed his success - was another matter.

In the end, Ben returned home. 

His position as acting-head of the Chandrila division of House Organa ended up getting extended because independent publishing, as it turned out, was something Ben actually found heartfelt enjoyment in. And his mother, after dutifully overseeing the care of his father - who recovered, because after all, Han Solo was more stubborn than any disease - had decided to retire and leave the company to her son. 

So now, here Ben is. Sitting down at his desk at 8:15am and turning on his computer to start the day. 

****

The best part of Ben Solo’s daily routine, by far, is his second cup of coffee. The locally owned and operated shop _Tico’s_ had opened across the street from his office about six months after his original return to Chandrila. Ben had stopped in out of hunger - having forgotten to pack his lunch that day - and had been delighted to find bakery items from the shop around the corner, art from neighbourhood artists on the walls, and the most delicious latte he had ever had in his life. 

Said latte was made for him every morning at 10:00am by Rose, one of the co-owners of the shop. Paige, as explained to him by Rose, was the ‘brains of the operation’ (Rose’s words), and oversaw the lease, finances, supplies, etc. Rose was the ‘brawn’ (again, Rose’s words). 

In other words, Rose ran the shop out front - and made the coffee Ben had ever had - and Paige oversaw everything behind the scenes. 

At 9:55am, Ben puts his computer to sleep and grabs his wallet to head over to _Tico’s_. As always, he asks the staff if they want anything and as always they all say no thanks. 

Regardless of what the staff say, Ben usually returns with a box of cookies or croissants.

When he arrives at the cafe, he is greeted by the sight of the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. She has wavy brown hair that falls just below her jawline, and is wearing an off-white dress with a purple and green floral pattern. 

She is sitting on the step in front of the door to the cafe, and she is crying. 

With the blood of Han Solo and Anakin Skywalker in his veins, Ben is doomed to put his foot in his mouth from time to time. And today, he does. 

“Excuse me. You’re blocking the door.”

The woman snaps her gaze to his and fixes him with a steely glare - at which point he realizes that she has the most gorgeous hazel eyes. 

“Are you fucking serious?”

The woman stands - Ben doesn’t, he swears he doesn’t take that chance to admire the tan legs that peek out from the slit in her dress - wiping her eyes furiously, steps forward with her finger pointed in his face. 

“My best friends are getting evicted by their asshole landlord, and are going to lose _everything_ they ever worked for and _you_ ,” punctuating her remark by jabbing his chest with her finger, “have the nerve to ask me to get out of your way?”

Ben takes a deep breath, before calmly reaching out to move her finger away from him.

“Hey, I’m sorry your friends are being evicted, I just want to get a cup of coffee.”

The woman scoffs, turning away from him - it’s not his fault that her hair is short enough that he can see the freckles on the back of her neck - to point at the door to _Tico’s_.

“You tall, dark, idiot. My friends are Rose and Paige. You know...the Tico’s? They’re being evicted.”

It takes him a minute to put it together - Solo/Skywalker genes are good for hair and height, critical observation not so much - but then he sees it. The yellow eviction notice taped under the CLOSED sign on the door; the lights are off inside, even though they open at 6:30am on weekdays; the cafe is empty.

And suddenly, Ben is enraged.

He is furious at whatever asshole landlord is evicting the Tico’s and is certain they must be a hack because he knows for a fact that Paige is extremely organized. He is furious that a local business that is well-loved and deserving of all the praise that it gets is under threat of shut down. He is furious that these circumstances have led to this woman - who might be an angel fallen to Earth, Ben would bet money on it - crying at 10:00am.

He is also furious that his routine is being disrupted but at this exact moment that seems like a less pressing matter.

Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he gives the woman what he hopes is a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry. Paige and Rose won’t get evicted.”

She frowns. “What do you mean? The notice is already on the door and Plutt told them they had 48 hours to-”

“-Plutt?” Ben huffs out a laugh. “Of course it’s Plutt. Just give me a second, I have to make a call.”

Ben turns away and pulls up his mother’s contact. She picks up immediately.

“Ben?”

“Hey mom.”

“Is everything ok?”

“No- I mean, yes, but, Rose and Paige are being evicted.”

“WHAT?!” Leia Organa was nothing if not a sucker for Rose’s superb chai latte.

“Yeah. And mom, you’ll never guess who their landlord is.”

His mom is quiet for a second, and then shouts so loud Ben has to hold the phone away from his ear.

“I’LL BE DAMNED IF THAT FOUL-SMELLING, SCRUFFY-LOOKING NERF HERDER PLUTT IS GOING TO CLOSE ONE OF THE BEST CAFES IN THE COUNTY. Give me ten minutes to call Lando, he’ll have this fixed by the end of the day.”

With that, his mother hangs up. 

Pocketing his phone, Ben turns to face the woman.

“Did you catch that?”

She nods.

“Who is Lando?”

“Lando is my uncle, he’s a property lawyer over in Bespin. He’s dealt with Plutt and his schemes before. Don’t worry, the Tico’s will be in good hands.”

The woman exhales.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you earlier, it’s just, Rose and Paige are my best friends and I was so worried, and then you showed up all tall and dark and broody looking and I just-”

Ben laughs.

“That’s ok, I’m just glad I could help. I’m Ben, by the way.”

He holds his hand out and she places hers in his. Ben tries his best to maintain eye contact and not look down to see how tiny her hand looks in his large one. 

A blush colours the woman’s cheeks. 

“You’re Ben? Ben who always comes in at 10 to order a latte, Ben?”

His brows furrow. 

“Yes?”

Then, in a moment Ben is sure that he will remember for the rest of his life, the widest grin he has ever seen breaks out across the woman’s face.

“Rose has...um, Rose has mentioned you.”

Ben flushes right to the tips of his ears.

“Oh?”

She bites her lip, looking down at her feet and then back at Ben.

“Do you, um...do you want to get a croissant?”

“A croissant?”

“Yeah. From _Stormy Bakery_? My friend is one of the baker’s there, and they always pull a fresh batch out around 10:30.”

Ben smiles, nodding.

“I’d love that.”

The woman smiles again, softer this time, with the edges of her eyes crinkling. 

“Ok.”

****

At some point, during their walk to the bakery, she introduces herself - her name is Rey. Later, when they are seated at _Stormy_ , his mother calls him back to say that Lando is on the case and will be in contact with Rose and Paige in the next hour.

Ben has never been more happy that his routine was interrupted.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on twitter @OctopusSoap <3


End file.
